Marisawright

I have no idea whether it's strictly legal, but lots of parents do it quietly. The only reason I know, is that we've had cases where parents have given the money over, expecting to get the money back when it's eventually released. However the bond is in the assurer's name, not the parents, so it legally belongs to them and there's no way to make them hand it back. Which has caught a few people out.

Yes you can take them and yes there would be duty payable on the whisky content. Personally, if you're not attached to them, I would sell them now.

To be fair, in the first half of your reply you said he needed a solid skill, BUT then you said "best advice is to come on a WHV". As you know, he'll need to get the solid skill under his belt before he comes on a WHV. If he's a bit short on experience, he can get the last few months of experience while on his WHV, but he's got to be nearly all the way there before he starts.

When did he start receiving it and had you been living in Australia for 2 years before or after he claimed? Once you have fulfilled the residency requirement, then you can leave Australia and continue to receive the aged pension indefinitely.

The residency rule is actually straightforward AFAIK. To claim the pension, you must be resident in Australia at the time you claim. Also, you must EITHER have been resident in Australia for 2 years before that date, OR you must remain resident in Australia for 2 years after that date. I m not aware of any exceptions based on how long you’ve been away or anything else for that matter

@Jock - I don't know if it helps, but if you move to almost any European country, you'll be able to claim your Australian pension no bother. It's only in the UK that you can't get it (crazy, I know). So you could plan to retire in Crete or Benidorm or the Greek Islands and you'll be all set. People seem to think that after Brexit, you won't be able to settle in EU countries any more - but that's rubbish. You'll lose your free access to the EU, but it doesn't mean you're blocked out altogether. My oh looked into settling in Italy at one time (before we met). As an Australian he has no special rights, but the requirements weren't that hard. It's not like emigrating to Australia. You just need to prove you can buy a home and support yourself. Thta was fifteen years ago but it hasn't changed.

Oops, so she is. I must have missed that part - I expected the poster to be in Australia since she was posting in this forum.

By football I assume you mean soccer. There may be no professional soccer in Switzerland, but you're surrounded by countries that have excellent professional football teams. Australia is a backwater in soccer terms. Most would-be Australian soccer players are praying to be "discovered" by a scout from one of the European or British clubs. If your son isn't that talented, then he might stay in Australia and have a modest career as a player in the local derbys. But if he's really talented, then it's likely he'll be off to Europe or the UK or the US at the age of 15 or 16 while you're stuck in Australia.

That sounds like a good plan. In fact, you may find you see more of your family and friends that way, than if you lived there full-time. The only snag is where you will live while you're in Switzerland. 13 weeks is a long time - would family members be willing to accommodate you every single year? If not, holiday accommodation in Switzerland is very expensive. Could you afford to buy a studio flat? You could rent it out when you're not using it, perhaps?

You do not need a migration agent to apply for citizenship.

I agree with Ali. Sit down and force yourself to write down all the reasons you left (don't just do this mentally, writing them down is important). It's important because rose-tinted glasses are a real thing. The human brain doesn't like remembering bad stuff. So the longer you're away from somewhere, the more your memories of the unpleasant stuff fade. You'll start thinking, "maybe I over-reacted", "maybe I was too hasty", "maybe I should have tried harder" - and it's probably not true. It takes a lot to make someone pick up their whole life and move halfway across the world, so it's very unlikely you did it without sufficient thought. You've just forgotten how bad you felt. Australia is not a paradise. Prices have gone up here just the same as in the UK. Wages have stagnated. House prices, in particular, have soared. Unemployment is about the same as the UK. If you want to come back, come back because you felt happier here, not because "life is better".

I have heard that they're too busy sorting out all the problems with temporary visa holders currently in Australia. So it might be good news for onshore applicants

At what stage is your visa application? The visa application process is competitive and just because you applied, does not mean you will get a visa. The states are not awarding many 190 visas any more, because they are fed up of people getting the visa and then not settling permanently. You must arrive before the initial entry date to activate your visa. Thta is when the "counter" starts. Once you've done that, you are free to come and go as often as you please for the first 5 years. When you apply for the 190, you promise to live in that state, but there is nothing to stop you leaving to go on vacations (even long ones). After your first 5 years, your initial travel facility expires and you must apply for a RRV (resident return visa). If you are living in Australia at that time, with a permanent address and a job, you should get one without difficulty (even if you haven't spent the required 2 years out of 5 in Australia). However if you are living outside Australia, you run the risk of being refused.

No. She needs to show she is a citizen, because just being born in Australia doesn't automatically convey citizenship. I think she would be foolish not to get the Australian passport if she's eligible for it. As a NZ citizen, she can enter and work in Australia BUT she and your children are not entitled to the full range of benefits.

Yes, they do. Like I said, Australia has no strong desire to import more people just for the sake of it. They want people who can make a notable contribution to the economy. That means people whose skills are in short supply, or people who will create employment. Someone who works alone and makes enough to support himself in comfort is neither of those things, unfortunately.

But for her to apply for an Australian partner visa, she needs to be an Australian citizen and therefore she will need to show evidence that she's an Australian citizen.

Yes but you need to apply to FIRB for permission, then you will pay three times the normal stamp duty on the purchase

When you say sponsorship, be aware that it will be a temporary visa for 2 to 4 years - it won't give you the right to migrate permanently. For some occupations, it's possible to apply for permanency after your temp contract, but it's a long, uncertain and stressful process. If you are comfortable with bringing your family over for a few years to experience a different country, then it can be rewarding - but rent out your home rather than selling, and assume you'll be heading home at the end. Before you can even consider looking for a sponsor, you need to find out if your occupation is on the Skilled List. If it's not, then you can't be sponsored, end of story. I wouldn't assume the market will be any better in Australia than the UK after lockdown, to be honest.

How old are you? If you're 30 or under, you can apply for a WHV (Working Holiday Visa) which will get you a year in Australia, during which time you can continue your online work. You can't apply for any of the skilled visas. For those, you must be in an occupation which is on the Skilled List, AND you must have the qualifications and years of experience specified on the list. It's worth noting that Australia is not a young country desperate for migrants any more - it's just like the UK, the US or any other country, and it strictly limits migration to protect its local workforce. Your only option would be a business visa, but I have no idea whether you'd qualify. Business visas are not straightforward so you should consult a MARA registered migration agent.

For the 189 visa, there is a threshold and you must have above that threshold to stand any chance of being invited. Currently she would need over 90 points.

It won’t do you any good as only citizens and permanent residents are currently allowed to enter Australia. The prime minister said just this morning that he has no plans to relax travel restrictions

If you applied through an agent, you’re entitled to ask him for an updated

If you were staying in a hotel or an AirBnb for two weeks for a holiday, would you call that your "residential address"? No. Just because you happen to be stuck there, doesn't change that fact IMO. However, frankly I think you would be very silly not to pay an agent to give you a professional opinion. There are several good agents on these forums such as @paulhand

Why is it disgusting? If the Australian government feels it has a large enough local workforce, it has every right to refuse foreigners a visa.

That is a very good point. The Asian salons can offer cheap prices because they are often employing students or possibly even illegal immigrants so their wages are low.